Automobile



W. COLBURN.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1919. 1,333,246. Patented Mar.9,1920.

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To all whom it may concern UNITED STATES. PATENT oF IoE.

wnnsma connomv, ors'r. LOUIS, ivussoum, AssIoNon T0 oems, Moron 00., orsr.

LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI;

AUTOMOBILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application filed February 5, 1919. Serial No. 275,062.

Be it known that I, WEBSTER CoLBURN', a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented anew and useful Improve- .ment in Automobiles, of which the followinfi isa specification.

his invention relates to in automobiles.

An object of the invention is to provide a side door of an automobilewith a receivimprovements ing'chamber or receptacle designed and adaptedto receive the curtains of the automobile, or other similar articles.

Another object is to provide a side door for an automobile having areceptacle and flexible partitions therein for receiving articles suchas the curtains of the automobile, and a closure for said receptacle.

Other objects will appear from'the following description in whichreference is made to the accompanying drawing illus trating anappropriate form of the inven( tion, and in which- Figure 1 is a view ofthe inner side of the door with the closure in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the closure in open position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 33 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the series of partitions removed fromthe door.

My improved door comprises an approriate frame composed of vertical sidememhers 1, a bottom or connecting member 2, a top connecting memiber' 3,and an outer wall 4 which maybe of metal or other appropriate material.

The frame is of considerable thickness so number of separate spaces by aseries of partitions 5. The partitions 5 in the form shown are flexibleand have their lower edges separated by and secured to spacingceptacleand resting upon the connecting member 2 of the door frame. Thus theseveral partitions and the spacing e-lementszto which they are securedconstitute a block which may be assembled as-a unit, as shown in Fig. 4,and thereafter placed within the compartment in the door.

As shown, the inner wall or facing of the door comprises a portion 7attached to the door frame and extendingfrom the lower edge of the frameto a desired distance above the lower wall of the receptacle .so thatthe partition members and the elements with which they are connectedwill be securely retained in position within the receptacle, whether thereceptacle be open or closed; and the remaining portion of the innerwall or facing of the door includes a closure for the receptacleconsisting of a wall or door 8 flexibly or pivotally connected with thewall portion 7 at the upper edge thereof. This permits the closure 8 tobe moved to closed position as shown in Fig. 1. and to open position asshown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper'edge of the closure is formed with anumber of eyelets 9 through which the pivoted catches or fasteners 10may be passed for engagement therewith as shown in Fig. 1. closure willbe "retained in closed position andwill form an ornamental inner wall.or

Thus. the

facing for the door entirely concealing and protecting the articlesplaced within the compartment. -\The closure may be con-,

nected with the frame of the door by the triangular flexible connections11 which will support the closurein proper position when the closure isopen.

As shown. the door is provided with the usual latch .12 and latchoperating device 13 located near the upper corner of-the free side ofthe door. These elementsare inclosed within a suitable box or frame 14of relatively small dimensions in order to leave the receptacle in thedoor as large as possible. The partitions are cut away at their uppercorners as shown at 15,. so that they I do not interfere with the frame14.

In using the door as a receptacle for the curtains of the automobile itwill be understood that the curtains are first folded to the desiredsize and then placed within the spaces formed by the partitions. Ifdesired the partitions may be marked to correspond with similar markingson the curtains, so

that when the curtains are placed within or removed from the receptaclesthey may be readily identified. i

From the foregoing it will be understood that I- have provided a doorwhich is of novel construction and which is designed and adapted to beplaced to novel uses and purposes. It will be understood that thespecific construction and arrangement may be varied as desired withoutdeparting from the principle of the invention. Furthermore, thepartitions may be removed or omitted when it is desired to obtainadditional space within the compartment.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v V 1. Anautomobile door,comprising' a door frame having a receptacle thereindesigned and adapted to receive the side curtains of the automobile,flexible partitions within the receptacle, and a closure for thereceptacle having pivotal connection with the frame of the door.

2. automobile door, comprising adoor frame composed of two vertical sidemembers, a top member connecting. the upper ends of the sidemembers, anda bottom.

member connecting the lower ends of the side members, said side, top andbottom. members forming the bordering walls'of a receptacle; an outersurface wall of the door secured to said frame members and forming theouter wall of the receptacle an inner surface wall of the door forming aclosure for the receptacle, having its lower edge pivoted to the doorframe and its upper edge and side edges arranged to bear against the topmember and the side members of the door frameto close the rece taclecompletely, said surface wall closure eing movable inwardly to positionto open said receptacle, and vertically to position in which its 1edgescontact with the door frame members to close the receptacle; andmeans for holding said surface wall closure in position to close thereceptacle 'as aforesaid.

3. An automobile door, comprising a frame; an outer surface wall of thedoor, said surface wall and said frame forming a receptacle; an innerwall lower portion permanently attached to the frame and extend ing fora distance above the bottom of the receptacle and forming the inner wallfor the lower portion of the receptacle; an inner surface wall of thedoor forming a continuation of the lower wall portion and constitutingaclosure for the receptacle having pivotal connection with said lowerportion, and movable to positions to open and to close the receptacle;and inwardly foldable flexible connections between the side edges of theclosure and the frame of the door arranged to support the closure inapproximately a horizontal position when the closure is in openposition.

- 4. An automobile door, comprising a frame and an outer wall forming areceptacle; an inner wall attached to the frame and extending for adistance above the bottom of the receptacle; a closure for thereceptacle having pivotal connection with the inner wall and movable topositions to open and to close the receptacle; flexible connectionsbetween the side edges of the closure and the frame of the door; andflexible partitions within the receptacle forming spaces adapted toreceive the side curtains of the automobile. I

WEBSTER'COLBURN.

